TOURISM is thought to be the world's biggest industry, worth about £350bn each year.

TOURISM is thought to be the world's biggest industry, worth about &#xA3;350bn each year.

More than &#xA3;76bn of that is spent in the UK.

More than 10% of the Welsh workforce is employed in the industry and it generates &#xA3;2bn of income here, a figure that would climb if Wales was to shake-off the misperception that it is a wet country all-year round.

Tourism is crucially important to the economies of many developing countries and some places, such as the Maldives, could disappear entirely if sea levels rise as a result of global warming.

Tourist numbers can turn on trends in fashion and political stability, but investment decisions have to be made over decades.

A large resort being constructed in the Caribbean today could find itself in a wetter or stormier climate before it is able to make any money.

Industry expert, Sue Mather, of Travel Research International, said tourism operators were only now waking up to the challenges presented by climate change.

Media reports of conflicting scientific results have also created confusion, she said.